Thursday, May 04, 2006

The Jesus Creed

The Jesus CreedI wanted to share this as some seem to think that Brian is just a heretic.

I find very little if nothing heretical in this written profession of his faith. I would contend if one disagreed with this statement of faith, they may be in dangerous water!

Blessings,iggy

The Jesus CreedThis creed was originally shared at the Emergent Convention, Nashville, May 2004.By Brian McLaren

We have confidence in JesusWho healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed.And even raised the dead.

He cast out evil powers andConfronted corrupt leaders.He cleansed the temple.He favored the poor.He turned water into wine,Walked on water, calmed storms.He died for the sins of the world,Rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father,Sent the Holy Spirit.

We have confidence in JesusWho taught in word and example,Sign and wonder.He preached parables of the kingdom of GodOn hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes,At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns,By day and by night.He taught the way of love for God and neighbor,For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien.

We have confidence in Jesus,Who called disciples, led them,Gave them new names and new purposeAnd sent them out to preach good news.He washed their feet as a servant.He walked with them, ate with them,Called them friends,Rebuked them, encouraged them,Promised to leave and then return,And promised to be with them always.He taught them to pray.He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places,Fasted and faced agonizing temptations,Wept in a garden,And prayed, "Not my will but your will be done."He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept.

We have confidence in Jesus,So we follow him, learn his ways,Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example.We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him,As a branch in a vine.We have not seen him, but we love him.His words are to us words of life eternal,And to know him is to know the true and living God.We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus.Amen.

Greeting Brother.I hope I did not say "Jesus failed." in the sense you have taken it. I was saying from the worldly view, Jesus failed. ANd yes, in fact He will sit on David's THrone soon. Now He sit's on His Father's throne. By failing in the way the world defines success, Jesus ahs flipped the power structure where the strong are in power and the weak are nothing to now being, "when we are weak His strong." and that now, " the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

I was saying that in time of trials and darkness we can think that Jesus as failed, and in that I was saying that that was wrong thinking. I may not have been clear on that as i wanted to be. I am saying that Jesus will never fail.. and has not failed.

Elson,I have gone back to that post and added more clarity to it. Thank you for pointing out that I may not have been as clear as i could have. I hope that what i have said has cleared up any misunderstanding.

Thank you mostly for approaching me in respect, grace and love as you have.

1. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10. Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.